The discovery of the barriers of agricultural water conservation behavior and related factors: A grounded theory approach (the case of Neyshabur Plain in Khorasan Razavi Province)

The main purpose of this study was to discover the obstacles to the water conservation behavior of farmers through Grounded Theory in Neyshabur plain. The participants consist of the leading farmers in Neyshabur plain, which were selected by purposeful sampling (30 participants). The data were collected through observation, semi-structured interviews, field notes, and documents. Data were coded and analyzed in 74 concepts and 22 categories. In the coding step, the paradigm model considers the lack of water conservation behavior (the main phenomenon), beliefs and misconceptions, fatalism, lack of understanding and responsibility for water scarcity as causal conditions of this phenomenon; dispersal of agricultural lands, financial-economic constraints, planning and government's poor management, lack of partnership and collective agreement, lack of education, lack of trust in experts and government officials from the main contexts of this phenomenon and lack of self-esteem farmers, weak supportive policies of the government, lack of communication between experts and farmers, and lack of livelihoods and benefits for farmers as interfering conditions. Irrigation infrastructure development, creating job security, changing the cultivation pattern, providing educational programs and government banking, and financial support were identified as strategies for this phenomenon. The consequences of this phenomenon were migration from rural to urban areas and institutionalization of water conservation behavior among farmers. The results of this study can provide mechanisms and strategies to remove barriers to agricultural water conservation behavior and perform more water conservation behavior.